


an unknown visitor

by crystalldragon



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Shambali Zenyatta, Young Genji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23594653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalldragon/pseuds/crystalldragon
Summary: Genji Shimada may ignore his responsibilities to the clan by playing video games, partying and fooling around, but he also enjoys being in his family's beautiful gardens. That is, until one day, he spots an unusual visitor in said gardens.AU in which Genji and Zenyatta meet long before they actually meet. Not as cyborg ninja and omnic monk, but as young playboy and omnic apprentice.
Relationships: Genji Shimada/Tekhartha Zenyatta
Comments: 4
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

Spring has arrived in Hanamura. The pastel pink cherry blossoms, for which the city is best known for, are now in full bloom. With the clear blue sky above, the sun brightens up every inch of the town. Once again, Hanamura shows why it is one of the best visited towns in the area, especially during hanami season. 

Though there is another beautiful spot, located hidden at the edge of the town. Almost no one knows of it, and those who do know, do not dare to take a footstep near it. The gardens of the Shimada clan. 

If an intruder does enter it, it's very likely it's an enemy of the clan, seeking to infiltrate and hurt them. But those people go missing before anyone notices them. Normally, a Shimada member would kill them, and the enemy would see this as a warning not to threaten them again.

Sometimes teenagers break into their gardens as a dare. They know the Shimada clan has a great influence in the area due to their high status and money, and thus seek to rebel by means of ransacking their property.

Whoever it is, if they don't belong to the Shimada clan, they won't be staying there for long.

―

A shadow moves swiftly through the clan's gardens, sneaking along the walls demarcating the grounds from the outside. The ninja hops through the treetops, creating a faint rustling sound. There, on the biggest tree in the garden, he sits down on one of the branches overlooking the gardens. The man takes off his hood to reveal green, spiky hair. 

Usually, one would instantly recognize Genji, the youngest son of the Shimada clan, from dozens of meters away. Right now, though, this is not the case, since the young man's hair blends in perfectly with the brightly green leaves. From his bag, he takes out a bento box and picks out his favorite maki sushi, enjoying the peace and quiet of the gardens. He'd told his family more than once what a torment it is to have to watch over the clan's estate while his friends can go out and have fun. Not only that, but it's also a waste since his family could easily gain more money if they were to open the gardens for visitors in exchange for a small fee.

He wishes he could show his friends just how goddamn beautiful the place is without it being a offense against his clan. No matter how nice to look at it is, it won't get nicer as long as there's no one to share the beauty with.

His other family members aren't here very often, most times it's when they're inviting others and showing them around. The patrolling and cultivation is mostly done by servants but sometimes the clan members help out voluntarily, when there's time. Or they have to do it as punishment for mild offenses. Which happens mostly to Genji, just as today.

His eyes look around the place for anything unusual, already knowing it will look the same as always. It does. He finishes eating his little snack and considers just going out anyway when he hears a distinct rustle. _Is this another foreign cat that got lost in here_? he thinks. _Or is it some sort of attacker hiding in the castle’s grounds again? Or just simply another prank_? In any case, he's quick to investigate. Sneaking further through the treetops, he reaches the wall leading to their Zen garden. He takes one last look over the main garden from above but again, sees nothing. So, the next station is their small Zen garden, which he can't observe from the trees because the wall separating the two gardens is too high. He climbs down the wall with ease and continues into the small garden, hiding behind a huge rock near the gate. 

And there he is. The intruder. He spots a tall but slim figure sitting at the koi pond. His right hand already glides to his wakizashi, ready to strike quick and soundless. But upon closer inspection, he realizes that the intruder isn’t even human. It’s an omnic. And it’s wearing… _a white orange kasaya_? Normally, the clan’s enemies would send human hitmen on them, and even if they did send omnics, they would _never_ look like this one. He isn’t sure what this thing is doing here, or how he is going to approach it. 

In the end, he settles for sneaking up to it, giving in to his desire to exploit the element of surprise. If he has the omnic captured, he can freely interrogate it and then, decide on his next move.

But as he sneaks his way further into the garden, the omnic suddenly speaks up.

“Greetings, my friend. Are you here to appreciate the beautiful gardens as well?”

Clearly thrown off by the question, he abandons his former plan and instead, rushes forward and stands behind the omnic. “Who are you and how did you know I was here?”

The omnic chuckles slightly and stands up, the two now face to face. “I am sorry if I disturbed you. You may call me Zenyatta. Who are you?”

The young man looked at the omnic in utter disbelief. _Who does this omnic think it is, just breaking into our castle and pretending nothing's happened. Does it want to die_?

He coughs into his fist and tries to answer so as to get more information out of the omnic. “Huh. You know that this garden is my family's property?”

Zenyatta gasps. “Oh! I did not know that. I thought I was free to take a look at this place when I saw the opened entrance.” He bows and apologizes.

 _Wait, the entrance was open? Who opened it? Nevermind, I’ll just escort Zenyatta back to the entrance before anyone notices_. 

“It’s okay,” Genji answers, trying to be as polite as possible. “I’m simply going to lead you back to the garden’s entrance, and then it’s all forgotten. My name’s Genji Shimada, by the way.” 

“Thank you. I appreciate your hospitality, Mr. Shimada.”

 _He really is an outsider. Otherwise he would have run the second he’d heard the name Shimada_ , Genji thinks. 

——

Somehow, the omnic came back to the garden the day after that. And the day after that. It strolled through the gardens like nothing happened. It even played with Mio, Genji's favorite cat. And they both enjoyed each other's company! Genji's disbelief was immeasurable. It's lucky he has to watch over the gardens the whole week, or else this would have ended very quickly and very badly. 

“Listen,” Genji says on the last day of the week, leaning against one of the trees and watching the omnic sitting at the garden’s pond from afar. This seems to be its favorite spot so far. Genji even saw it talking to the koi. No omnic does that. Not even a human does that. The average human at least. “I don’t know why you are so stubborn and won’t listen to my advice about not coming here again. These gardens are still private property, you know. And even though I'm often around this part of the castle, there is still a chance that someone other than me will walk around here, and when they see you, then you'll probably be dead." He twirls his shuriken around his fingers, partly to scare him, partly to show off. 

"I am aware, Mr. Shimada," Zenyatta answers, and the confidence in its voice throws Genji off - he marvels at all the emotions this omnic manages to get across with only his voice. "I had hoped that you would be able to protect me, should such a thing really happen."

 _Oh god, this omnic is _really_ to confident for his own good_, Genji thinks.

He snorts. "Hah! As much as I love to rescue damsels in distress, I would rather not like to incite a war within the clan because of you."

He'd love to tell the omnic otherwise. He'd love to see someone give this huge garden the appreciation it deserves, even if it's just an omnic. Though, if Genji were to be honest, Zenyatta being an omnic doesn't really bother him, it is of no importance. More important are his manners. It just outright ignored his advice, seemingly without further thinking about it. If omnics were disobedient, they were usually violent too. It doesn't look like this applies to Zenyatta though. Genji doesn't even _know_ where it comes from and what its motives and interests are. _Maybe it's a spy after all_?

Zenyatta stands up and looks in his direction, and even though its faceplate is unmoving he can somehow see the sadness beneath. "I am sorry for causing you trouble, Mr. Shimada. I was merely so fascinated by this place... I could not help myself."

The omnic slowly walks along the stony path leading to the exit but Genji stops it short by standing in front of it with his katana drawn. He knows he's being overdramatic right now and wants to show off again more than anything else, but he just _has_ to know what's going on with this omnic.

"I'm not letting you go without you telling me who you are."

"I already told you my name," it says, tilting its head in confusion.

"No, I mean like, where do you come from and what is your purpose."

"Ah," Zenyatta answers, and Genji sees just now how _not frightened_ it is. Of course, omnics are not humans but they have a built-in survival instinct similar to humans. Most times when Genji draws his blade, humans and omnics alike are quick to either run away, step back or put their hands up to surrender. Zenyatta has done none of that. Genji begins more and more to think it's either a servere error made by mistake or in reality a killer machine without fear sent to destroy his clan. Before he can continue that thought, the omnic answers slowly and calmly. 

"As I said, my name is Zenyatta. I chose that name myself. I do not know which omnium I came from, but I can tell you I am currently in this city with a group of omnics from the same assembly line. We currently have no other purpose than to look for a purpose."

Genji lowers his sword. He wants to believe it so badly. But how can he? Omnics are able to lie just as well as humans.

"You do not believe me," Zenyatta says as if it can read his thoughts.

"I do! But..." Genji struggles to find the right words, so he simply says: "Maybe you can understand my caution."

"I can, Mr. Shimada, and again my deepest apologies for causing you trouble," the omnic replies and bows, the first act of submissiveness he has seen from it. "Is there any way I can prove my innocence? Maybe you can pay us a visit?"

"Hmmm..." Even if this proved to be a trap, he would surely get done with it. "Okay. So, where do you live?" 

"Not too far away. Just across the 7-Eleven north from here."

The young man grins. "Ah, I know where you mean." There are some ryokan down that street. It's weird to have traditional old Japanese houses on one side of the street, and loud and bright supermarkets on the other side, but that's just how things are now. 

"Wonderful!" Zenyatta clasps its hands in front of its chest. "I am looking forward to your visit!" It says with warmth in its voice.

Its emotional behavior throws Genji off. "Are you fl-" He stops himself mid-sentence. _Are you insane?! He's - no, it's... whatever. He's not flirting with you! This is not even human! Your charm is inappropriate_! "Nevermind. I will escort you to the exit."


	2. Chapter 2

"You have finished your duty for this week, Genji," Sojiro announces with a sincere smile. "You are now free to do what you want. Within the acceptable limitations, of course."

"I want to guard the castle grounds for another week, father."

"What?" Sojiro is taken aback by his sons' sudden change in behavior. He was the person to be the least willing to do things for the clan. It didn't bother him much, currently things were fine as they are. Genji was still a young man and surely there were enough lessons ahead for him to be learned.

"It's just... everything is in bloom right now, and I want to admire it in peace while helping you," Genji further explains. It wasn't exactly the truth but it wasn't a complete lie either. He loved looking at the colorful trees and flowers. But there was another thing he had in mind.

"Very well, my son," Sojiro says. "Your eagerness to help is both admirable and welcome. I will not send any servants to the gardens this week."

"Thank you, father," Genji bows, hiding the big grin that has formed on his face.

—

"Hanzo, I'm gonna go to Rikimaru," Genji shouts into the corridor where their rooms are. He gets no answer but knows Hanzo is there because he's heard him rummaging around in his room. Despite their fights and his rebellious behavior, he continues to tell his brother whenever he leaves, even if he lies about where he's going. Things like this give him at least the momentary illusion that everything is as it was when they were kids. It won't be long, he knows, before he'll get into trouble with his family again and then have to do something as punishment, over and over. _Is there anything I can do that's so bad they'll just kill me as punishment_? he wonders but sets the thought aside and pulls on his cardigan. "Seeya!" he shouts into the seemingly endless void of his family's castle. 

—

He knocks on the door to the room Zenyatta told him about, his hand still sticky from the dorayaki he bought and ate just before. If he's being honest, he doesn't even know why he's doing this. Yes, officially it's to make sure they're not a threat to his clan. But it's not like they'll let him in and say "oh, we are planning to steal from you" or something. Besides, he already knows they're no threat. He doesn't _know_ know, but his gut feeling tells him so. Zenyatta may be a cocky ass who won't listen, but he sounded like he was being honest about himself. If he's not and Genji would find out, he'd kill two birds with one stone. If they pose a risk, Genji would simply get rid of them and earn respect from his father for helping in keeping the family safe. If they show no signs of danger, he'd just have learned something new about omnics, which doesn't happen often since he has almost no contact to omnics except from their servants. It'd be interesting to know what the average omnics are up to these days. 

The door slides open and he is greeted by a familiar face.

"Greetings, Mr. Shimada," Zenyatta says, stepping aside to let him in.

Genji accepts the invitation, smiling and taking off his shoes in the genkan. 

"You can call me Genji, by the way," he says as he kneels down and puts his shoes in the corner of the small room. Just as he wants to check if Zenyatta has put off his shoes as well, he remembers that he doesn't even need shoes. Still, when he looks at his feet, he sees that they're exactly designed to look like he's wearing geta, or some other kind of similar shoe. Genji is not sure if it's a coincidence to have his cables laid like that or if the manufacturers knew exactly what they were doing. It will remain a mystery.

"Oh... is that really okay, Mr. Shimada?" Zenyatta asks and again, Genji is baffled by how the omnic can make himself sound so unsure and at the same time outright ignoring what he tells him to do.

"Can you do as I say, just for one time?" He says, slightly annoyed. It's not that he's annoyed at Zenyatta per se, he's more annoyed at how his... not-omnic-like behavior confuses him. Pretty girls and boys were allowed to amaze him like that, but not an old tin can! _How old is Zenyatta anyway_?

"Very well... Genji," Zenyatta says before Genji can repeat that question out loud. Hearing his first name from an omnic sounds weird. It's... unusual. A bit of triumph swells in his chest for getting him to listen. 

"Okay, let's check out this place of yours," he says and gets up. There's nothing to check out for him, really. He knows the houses around here, has been to all of them, as visitor, or rather as "oh-you're-the-heir-of-the-Shimada-clan-let's-show-you-this"-visitor. And it's not like he's going to search all of their belongings. He's a smart young man, not some paranoid safety-seeking creature (like some of his relatives). So, he'll just follow along and listen to what these omnics have to say.

"Greetings, everyone," Zenyatta says as they arrive in the main room. "This is Genji of the Shimada clan." He taps on his back. 

Genji steps forward and bows slightly. "Hello, everyone."

"This is Mondatta," he points to the omnic sitting at the table in the center of the room. "You could say we created this little group. Those two in the corner are KN-2048 and LN-2052. They haven't decided on any names yet."

The two wave their hands in greetings but Mondatta just sits still at the table and looks at them. His reaction reminds Genji of Hanzo when he's bringing one of his friends to their home. 

"You are a disgrace to our family," he'd say, even though sometimes it were people he used to hang out with as well. By now, it's no understatement to say he's lost most of his friends and instead, spends most of his time with Shimada business. 

Genji just stands there for a few seconds without saying anything, trying to come off as polite as possible by smiling in Mondatta's direction. He's not very good at being polite. He's good at being _charming_ , fooling around with people and getting them to do what he wants, but not good at being the appropriate kind of polite.

Mondatta says nothing, instead nodding slightly at last and Genji relaxes inwardly. He's like Hanzo after all.

"So, do you have any plans?" He asks into the round.

"So far, we are trying to gather omnics who are lost and purposeless for a peaceful cause," Zenyatta explains. "Mondatta does most of the work, we just explore and talk to interested omnics."

"I see. So, have you found any new members here?"

"There are two omnics who showed interest, though they are currently outside. Maybe they will come with us."

"Come with you? To where?"

"That is not yet certain," Mondatta chimes in their conversation, causing Genji and Zenyatta to look at him. "Our current plan is to visit a few more places of interest and then settle on a place where omnics and humans alike are welcome to visit us."

"So your mission is basically to make peace?" Genji asks him, glad to finally have heard something out of his... mouth? Voice box? Whatever.

"That is correct," the omnic says and turns his gaze away from him again and towards the book he's reading.

"Sounds fine to me." As expected, he doesn't see anything suspicious. Not that you could hide any object in a room this small anyway. "I will be on my way again, then. T'was nice meeting you guys!" He waves goodbye and turns around to go to the entrance room again.

"Bye, Genji-boy!" One of the other omnics shouts after him. Mondatta gives them a look which probably would've looked grim if he were human. He turns to Zenyatta again, who's about to go after Genji.

"Zenyatta, come and talk to me later."

"I will," he promises and leaves the room with Genji.

"You guys look normal to me," Genji says to Zenyatta as he takes on his shoes again. "I mean, normal in a good way. Anyway, when will you be leaving?"

"We do not know yet. But we will be staying for a while."

"Good," Genji stands up and faces him. "Because I'll be watching over the gardens for the next week as well. You are free to come and go as you please."

"Really?" Zenyatta gasps and Genji is not entirely sure how he can do that but doesn't question it further. "What wonderful news! I certainly will be visiting you again, Mr. S... Genji!"

The young man smiles and takes one last glance at the omnic before leaving. Did the dots on his forehead always glow so bright? Ah, well. No use in puzzling over it any longer.

"Goodbye, then, Zenyatta!"

"Goodbye Genji!" The last thing Zenyatta sees of him is his lime green hair and he thinks about how perfectly it fits into their colorful garden. 

—

"Are you completely out of your mind?" Mondatta stands directly in front of him as he enters the room. Never has Zenyatta heard him use such words. He didn't even wait or tell the other two to leave. Or wait for Zenyatta to say something in reply.

"You brought Genji Shimada here? An heir of one of the most dangerous clans around? What were you thinking?"

"Mondatta..." his angry approach has taken him completely by surprise. Of course, he knew that Genji was no ordinary man. But he was just so friendly and understanding, so he thought he could...

"This could get us in real danger," Mondatta finishes and simply stays in front of him for a few more moments, hoping he'd realize what his actions meant.

"Mondatta. I am genuinely sorry. I did not mean to cause trouble." Now he feels like he's back in Genji's garden, getting scolded over there as well. It's always him. He's always out there, causing trouble. Maybe his original purpose was to be a troublemaker of some sort? Just some dumb omnic for people to let out their aggressions?

"Mondatta..." he tries again. "I know we should not approach dangerous clans like his. But he is not going to fink on us. He is not interested in bringing glory to his family."

"Ah, how do you know that?"

"He told me so."

Zenyatta didn't really know that. He just guessed. Genji has warned him about his family, rather than basking in their glory. The concern he showed for his family felt more forced than genuine. Zenyatta hoped he was right about him. 

"What one says is not equal to what one thinks or does. You should be more careful," Mondatta utters a desperate sigh. "I would be more understanding if what you did promised to be valuable to our cause. But there is no use in filling in a member of the Shimada clan into our plans!"

"There is, actually," Zenyatta responds. "He was extremely friendly despite me being an omnic. He did not seem to have any prejudices. Maybe he can help us."

"So that is what you think." Mondatta goes back to the table and sits down. He looks down at his metal palms and tries to calm himsel. "Very well. I will not disturb you any longer. After all, there is nothing I can do to stop you. Just promise me you will be careful."

"I will. After all, I still have these," he opens the door to the cupboard where the futons are and takes out his newly-crafted orbs. Maybe Genji would have been more wary if he saw these, but even if he had, he probably wouldn't know they could be used as a weapon. Most omnics still use the same weapons humans do. Zenyatta didn't want to create a sense of mistrust in other people by carrying a common weapon, so he commissioned a metal worker to craft these. By using kinetic energy, getting hit with one of the orbs can hurt as much as a stab wound. Mondatta had been against it, of course. He wanted to use his words and only his words.

"Do not worry, they are for the rare situations in which we might need extra defense," Zenyatta had said. So far, they didn't need them once.

"Weapons are only useful as long as you take them with you," Mondatta says and pulls him out of his reverie. Zenyatta chuckles. He hasn't taken them with him very often and, as Mondatta said, thus they have failed their original purpose as weapons. But since he had no need to use them until now, he could overlook his flawed thinking.

Maybe he will take them with him for real this time. Not as arming though. Just so he can impress Genji.


	3. Chapter 3

Zenyatta arrives at the Shimada clan gardens at around noon. His orbs dangle loosely around his neck as he observes a small cascade at the edge of the gardens. He is fascinated by the symbolism of Japanese gardens. Though he still doesn't know much about it, he feels that every flower, every stone, every pond has its place and there's a reason for it to be at exactly this place.

"Hi," Genji greets him from behind, startling the omnic. "Gotcha!" This time, Zenyatta was too lost in his thoughts to pick up on him entering the garden. 

He turns around and faces him. Now he has another chance to marvel at his particular hair color. He hasn't seen many people like him, especially not in Japan. Everyone seems so... formal and distant. But not Genji. Just looking at him leaves him smiling with happiness. If Zenyatta could smile, that is, then he would be grinning like an idiot.

"Hello, Genji!" 

"What's up with those balls?" Is his first question and he moves closer to the omnic to inspect them. "Is this some hidden weapon you haven't told me about? Should I be scared?"

"Of course not," Zenyatta is impressed by his quick wits. Or he simply expects omnics to be armed. He'd rather believe the former. "I am not here to hurt you."

Genji laughs. "I figured that much out. I still wanna know what they are and why you brought them here." He touches one of them, turns it around in his hand and inspects the design of it, trying to figure out if there's any deeper meaning to it. The orbs aren't an extension of his body, so he gets no sensory input from them. Still, it feels unusual, since he's not used to having his orbs around, let alone someone else touching them. 

"I bought them..." He's unsure if he should tell Genji the truth. Mondatta surely wouldn't. But then again, Mondatta doesn't know how smart Genji truly is. He would get behind it anyway, so there's no use in trying to deny it. "... As tools for self-defense. But right now, they're merely decoration."

"Is that so?" Genji asks, a smug grin forming on his face. "But you can fight with them?"

"I can fight with them, yes," Zenyatta has already given up on telling him lies or twisted stories. He's not good at such things anyway.

Genji lets go off the orb and it automatically floats back into the orbit around the omnics' neck. "So, wanna spar?" He asks without further thought.

The orbs stop in their movements and Zenyatta stares at him wordlessly. 

"What?" He stares back at him with an innocent smile.

"I will not fight with you on your private estate," Zenyatta says with firmness in his voice. Playing around and having a little bit of fun is always okay with him, but he's not going to take this risk. Too many things could go wrong here, from one of them being hurt to something around the place being destroyed by accident. Also, Zenyatta has never fought against a living human being before. Sure, he's had training on how to use his orbs and even has managed to persuade some omnics to fight against him, but nothing more. He's not a worthy opponent.

"So, you're saying we can fight somewhere else?"

"N-no, that's-"

Genji shushes him and points to his right. "We have another ground just made for sparring, it's behind this building. Nothing wrong with going there."

_This man is insufferable_ , Zenyatta thinks. He knows he's stretched his boundaries far too much and he's stretching it further with every second he spends with Genji. Despite this, Genji manages to stretch them _even further_ , bringing them both in great danger. "What if someone sees us?"

"They won't. My family has a meeting. No time for sparring in that case," he answers, his head slightly bent and looking more like a pleading dog than the confident young man he is. _Is he so... versatile around others, as well_? Zenyatta wonders.

"Alright..." He agrees, the anticipation of trying something new with his newfound friend overpowering his fear of danger.

—

"It's like you're fighting with guns," Genji says to Zenyatta, still breathing heavily. He drops his stick and flops down on the ground.

"Are you okay, Genji?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he assures. "I just need a small break. I'm still made of flesh and bones."

Zenyatta chuckles. "I understand."

Maybe he was better than he thought or Genji was going easy on him. Sure, Genji has managed to hit him a few times but dodging his orbs seemed to be quite a challenge for him. And when the omnic charged his orbs at him, he could clearly see the fear written on his face. It was funny, he had to admit, to see the young man who's usually so cocky and sure of himself tremble from his strain and concentration. Since Zenyatta had no breath to run out of, he seemed perfectly calm in comparison.

"So, I guess that proves I can defend myself if I have to," Zenyatta says, this time the tone of arrogance coming from his voice.

"Yeah, if you managed to beat the great Genji Shimada, then that's definitely something you should write in your resume," Genji answers and laughs breathlessly. He still hasn't lost his self-confidence.

Genji stands up and wipes the dirt off his clothes. "Wanna try again?"

Zenyatta notices that the sun has already set. "I probably should go home soon. Maybe we can continue tomorrow?"

"Alright," Genji says. "But this time, no weapons allowed."

"I'm looking forward to it."

They walk back to the gardens entrance together, the warmth of the evening sun on their backs.


	4. Chapter 4

"You know, you do not have to stay with me here if you wish do to something else."

Genji chuckles as he watches him playing with Mio in his lap. He doesn't want to admit it, but he's a bit jealous. Both of Zenyatta's calm aura and of the cats' position.

"And who would protect you then?"

"I can protect myself, Genji, have you not seen?" There is this smugness in his voice again.

"Nah, I'm not concinced yet." Genji stretches himself and lies down flat on his back. He'd been at the gym for... maybe a bit too long and now he's paying for it with one hell of a muscle ache.

"Does this mean we should try again?" The cat purrs happily and Zenyatta is amazed at how fluffy its dark gray fur is. He hasn't had the chance to interact with many cats this up close and he's enjoying the new experience.

"I'm afraid not. At least not right now. I'm in no shape to fight."

"Do you need any help?" The omnic sets the cat down and gives it one last pat on its back. It looks at him and meows before flitting through the garden and disappearing behind one of the bushes.

"Uhhh..." Genji ponders and realizes he probably means giving him a massage, which is really the only way to help right now. He'd love to accept but massages usually don't end... well with him. "No thanks?"

"Please indulge me, Genji. There is something new I want to try out."

... Okay, now he's interested. What could that possibly be?

"Ah... alright." Not sure what to expect, he wants to sit up but Zenyatta gestures him to lay down again. He shifts a bit closer to him until he's right beside him, still sitting in a cross-legged position. One of his orbs wanders into his hands. He says nothing for a while and just stares at it. Before Genji's impatience gets the better of him and he can ask what he's up to, the orb starts glowing. Zenyatta lets it go and it floats to him, stopping above his chest. A yellow aura envelops the orb, making it look a bit like a small star. Genji is fascinated but now quite sure how this fancy display is going to help.

"Wh-" he starts but Zenyatta shushes him.

"Relax, Genji." 

It almost feels like Zenyatta could be his new Yoga teacher, so he tries to think of it that way: slowing his breath down, laying his palms flat open on the ground and just closing his eyes. Slowly, he feels a pleasant kind of warmth entering his body and it feels like it's wrapping itself around his aching muscles, hugging every cell of his being until everything loosens up. He's not sure if his ears are playing tricks on him, but it sounds like the orb is making a quiet hum, similar to how a singing bowl would sound. 

"That's it," Zenyatta says, his voice quiet and somehow, even more relaxing now.  
The last time Genji has felt this relaxed was... never, probably. As minute by minute goes by, he slowly feels his relaxation turn into sleepiness, but he's had enough practice with staying awake to not give in to it.

In the end, he doesn't even need sleep for his body to regenerate, because the aching slowly ebbs away, wave after wave. It hasn't disappeared entirely, but in comparison to before it's close to non-existent.

"Now you have to tell me: how did you do that?" Genji asks, his eyes still closed but his mind back to where they are.

"It is... complicated," the omnic warns. Most people would not want to know it in detail or even if, they'd think of him as a crazy wizard, but he knows neither apply to Genji. "Basically, their powers come from kinetic energy and, to an extent, thoughts and emotions. The latter is what just happened. I focused my positive emotions and my will to heal into the orb. This means that it can work as a painkiller, tranquilizer or whatever drug you want it to be."

"So, you're like... a robot alchemist?" Genji asks with a grin on his face. He hasn't quite understood _how exactly_ this almost magical weapon works, but he's fascinated, nonetheless.

Zenyatta chuckles. "You could say that."

"That's so amazing..." He has opened his eyes again to look at the omnic. Never before has he met someone so intriguing. "Why would I want to spend my time with anyone else?" 

Zenyatta laughs again. It may have seemed like a joke, but he is dead serious. Everyone he's ever met before pales in comparison to Zenyatta.

——

"Hey Zenyatta," Genji says as they sit on one of the verandas on the clans' estate. From here, one has the best view over the town center. It's cramped with people, usually most of them would be natives, but this time around there are a lot more tourists. Including Zenyatta, of course.

"Hm?" The omnic turns his head to face him.

"Well... shouldn't we like... visit another place than this? There's a lot more to see in Hanamura than this."

"Why? I already have seen the best of it, right here."

"Wow," Genji was blushing now. None of his flings had been so dashingly smooth, even if they tried very hard. Flirting, from his experience, was more about making each other happy and horny with cheesy and nasty lines, instead of saying something really meaningful. Not that the two were flirting or anything. Yes, he has had sex with friends, but he would never do anything like that with an austere being like Zenyatta. On top of that, he's an omnic and he's never tried it with an omnic before. The idea sounds almost interesting, but... no. Zenyatta deserves better than his heightened sex drive.

"I am telling the truth. You and your home are exceptional." Zenyatta assures him, breaking though his stream of thoughts. 

"But surely there's more out there we can explore. Together? Maybe?" Genji is almost intimidated by Zenyatta's earnest affection towards him. It’s not something he's used to, neither from his family nor from his friends.

Zenyatta lets his gaze drop, a gesture that doesn't go unnoticed by Genji. 

"What's wrong?"

"I am afraid I cannot accompany you," the omnics voice has lost its former softness and now sounds sad, almost melancholic. "Mondatta has booked a flight and we will be leaving soon."

"Why? What? When?" Genji feels his head spinning. He curses himself for being so uncontrollably emotional, but he doesn't want to lose something so great as their bond, especially when he's only gained it for such a brief time.

"Tomorrow, he said. We will be leaving before noon. A lot of time has passed, so we will move to the next place."

"A lot of time?! It's been only... three weeks!" Genji says angrily.

"Four weeks, actually, but I did not visit your place until the second week of our stay. In any case, I fear this is goodbye for us."

"But... but..." Genji is at a loss of words. Not only because Zenyatta is leaving, but also because of his reaction. Usually he would remain cool and calm, even if something was taken from him. He had no emotional attachment to most people and things anyway. But with Zenyatta it's different. He has captivated him ever since he stepped into his garden, full of elegance and calmness. His humble and quiet demeanor slowly gave way to his actual, strong and poised self. Genji is sure he has more character than some humans, even though his personality was just... well, programmed or something.

"I am sorry, Genji. I just found it out today as well." 

Neither of them say anything further. They just watch the people beneath them pass by. There are busy people, moving fast across the streets and relaxed people, slowly strolling along the shops. There are laughing people, kissing people, crying people, angry people, whatever emotion one would think of, one would find in midst these streets sooner or later. One could hope time passes slower for those not moving an inch. But the harsh reality is that every second passes for everyone the same, bringing Genji and Zenyatta closer to their departure. 

"Zenyatta..." Genji says and he's not entirely sure what he even wants to say, he just wants to fill the void, to prevent himself from crying, to ...

He throws his arms around the omnic and takes a deep breath in, hoping to catch a unique scent he can remember. Of course, there's nothing, just the faint scent of the blooming flowers in his garden. A quiet wail leaves him, a sound so unusual from him, for no one to hear. Except maybe Zenyatta, who puts his arms around him too and strokes along his back. Many minutes pass until Genji tries to regain his composure by focusing on the only small hope left. He moves back and looks at Zenyatta's faceplate, still so freshly new, having seen no real combat so far.

"Promise me, Zenyatta..." He starts, tears still trapped in his eyes. The omnic finishes his sentence for him.

"I promise we will meet again. Someday. I promise, Genji."

Genji nods and lets himself fall into his arms again. He focuses on every sensation until his mind goes blank and he falls asleep, the sky above them already dark. Zenyatta lifts him up and brings him to what he figured is his room and tugs him in. He steals one last glance of the moonlight shining on his handsome face before he quickly leaves the estate through the gardens and with that, leaves Genji – for a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

He hasn't seen snow in a long time. Wherever he was with his Blackwatch teammates, there was never any snow. Just scorching heat, sifting through his armor and into his body. Or rather, what was left of it. Then again, maybe it wasn't that hot, and the pain was in reality just phantom pain. He couldn't distinguish the kinds of pain he felt anymore. It was just one big bulk of misery. _He_ was just one big bulk of misery.

The snowflakes fall softly on his armor, creating little dark spots around. Genji looks up and tries to remember the last time he saw snow but fails to do so. Surely, it must have been before his death. That's why its memory is blurred. Just as almost everything else that happened before his death. Sure, he remembers who and where he was back in those days. He remembers his parents, his brother, his training. His room. His favorite restaurant. His favorite spot in the Shimada clan's gardens. But everything else is... wrapped in a huge fog. There were so many things he'd liked, so many things he'd wanted to see, but all of them died with him on that day.

"Ah. Why am I thinking about this again? Nothing’s there," he says to himself and walks further up the mountain. He isn't even entirely sure where he is. A few weeks ago, he just fled, and ran, and ran, and ran, until he completely lost track of time and space. Since his guts were metal tubes now, he had no problem with missing out on so many meals. But now, with the air getting colder and thinner, he feels his strength slowly but surely give out. _Hopefully, I'll find a village soon_ , he thinks and just as he finishes thinking that sentence, he starts to make out something resembling houses in the distance. Either fata morganas are possible in mountain regions, or he's just gotten extremely lucky. In any case, he walks further to investigate, even though his legs feel leaden. Something else, like some kind of outer force, is pulling him forwards to the small village ahead.

—

As soon as he finally arrived in the settlement, he sat down in a gap between two houses, feeling his legs finally give out. He doesn't know for how long he's been sitting there, but no one took notice of him so far.

That is, until a floating omnic makes its way over to him.

"Greetings, my friend. Are you okay?" He asks.

Genji feels too weak to talk. He even feels too weak to move his head upwards to face the omnic. So, instead, he just grumbles in response.

"Can I help you? I see great tumolt in your soul."

Genji's heart beats faster at that, though he's not sure why. Maybe because someone is offering him help? That hasn't happened in years. Still, he shakes his head. What burdens him is not something that can be fixed with a warm meal and a fluffy blanket. So, no thanks.

"Are you sure? I do not want anything to happen to you."

A small orb lands beside his head and starts glowing in a light-yellow color. His head moves up to look at the omnic.

"What... the hell?" He says out loud.

"This will give you some strength for the time being," the omnic explains.

"I do not need any of your strength," Genji claims in an annoyed tone.

"You certainly do look like you need it, though. Please, let me help you."

"As if I'd want help from someone like you!" Genji reaches for his sword but is stopped by his missing energy. The weakness in his body surpasses every of his thoughts and emotions and he can do nothing but to succumb to it.

"What do you have to offer and what do I have to pay for it?" He asks. It's a phrase he's memorized by now from all of the times his missions required him to gather information.

"I offer you shelter and peace in body and mind and you have to pay nothing for it," the omnic answers, going down on his knees to watch him more closely.

_How strange. No fight? Not even some bargaining? If somebody offers something, they have to want something. That's how the world works_ , Genji thinks. 

_Just trust him_ , a small voice in the back of his head says, one that's getting louder and louder while the others have slowly quieted down. The orb still hangs beside his head. He touches it and feels warmth, but not the hurting kind of warmth. It's a nice, familiar warmth. One he doesn't want to let go of.

"May I ask for your name?"

"I'm Genji," he tells him without hesitation, the small voice in head finally winning. "And you are...?"

"My name is Tekharta Zenyatta. I am glad we got to meet each other." He stands up again and the glowing orb sends out a small pulse of warmth which goes right through his armor and into his heart. His body still feels drained, but at least his legs don’t feel like they’re dying anymore. 

"Me too," he answers and stands up as well, treading after the omnic and deeper into the mountains. 

He's going to see a lot more snow from now on.

**Author's Note:**

> wrow so this story had more than 1% plot, which is unusual for my works!  
> also I apologize for any mistakes about Japanese culture I may have made. It's my special interest but I'm still no expert on it.  
> anyway, thanks for reading!


End file.
